1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to imprinters and portable transaction-log recorders and, in particular, to imprinters usable with portable transaction-log recorders, to imprinters having variable amount assemblies and to recorders for use with such imprinters.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Various imprinting systems are known wherein data from a plurality of different transactions are imprinted on a single transaction-log, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,647,459 issued Aug. 4, 1953 and 3,762,316 issued Oct. 2, 1973. In particular, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,316, there is disclosed an imprinter for minimizing the bulk of invoices sent to a central accounting office by a number of dealer outlets. As brought out in detail in the above patent, this is effected by substituting a single transaction-log for a large number of invoices where each invoice corresponds to a separate transaction. Thus, on the transaction-log is recorded the data corresponding to a large number of transactions. Hence, a single document (the transaction-log) can now be sent to the central accounting office in place of a large number of individual invoices, the latter being difficult to process and expensive to mail.
The portable transaction-log recorder of aforementioned U.S. application Ser. No. 434,209 permits the imprinting system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,316 to be more readily used in certain retail outlets such as gasoline stations. Thus, the customer's credit card is inserted in a latchable, slideable tray positioned in the side of the recorder and slid beneath the transaction-log, which is also disposed within the recorder. The tray is automatically latched in place. An invoice is then positioned on the recorder. The recorder is then taken to a central imprinter annd positioned therein. The data of the transaction is imprinted on the invoice and transaction-log. The recorder is the returned to the customer where he signs the invoice positioned thereon. His copy of the invoice is given to him and the recorder is returned to storage for the next transaction. After the transaction-log is filled with data, it is removed from the recorder and sent to the central accounting office.